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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — obliged
  10. board — a committee
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com